(Photo from Iowa Safe Schools)
DES MOINES — A group of LGBTQ youth were ejected Thursday from the Iowa Capitol Building for using restrooms they claim matched their gender identity.
Iowa Safe Schools – an organization that “supports safe and nurturing learning environments and communities for LGBTQ and Allied youth” Thursday held their annual Student Day at the Capitol, an event for LGBTQ youth to come and meet with lawmakers about issues impacting the LGBTQ community. Over 250 LGBTQ youth, advocating for the issues important to them, attended. Iowa Safe Schools claims that “in the afternoon, the Iowa State Troopers and Capitol Security began to harass and bully LGBTQ youth because of the restrooms they were using.” Video circulated of a number of youth behind sternly talked to by at least one state trooper.
“The troopers and security forced students from the restrooms. In the end, the state troopers forced every LGBTQ youth out of the capitol for no reason other than transphobia. This is a violation of law. This is a violation of students’ rights. There must be consequences for the troopers and capitol security for harming children.
“At Iowa Safe Schools we will be working with every student impacted by today’s events. Our Executive Director and Public Policy Director will be visiting every GSA to inform the students of their legal rights moving forward. We will be continuing to work to ensure that every student has a safe and supportive environment no matter where they are.
“The Iowa Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in all public accommodations including restrooms. These actions are clearly in violation of this provision in the Iowa Civil Rights Act.”
One Iowa – the state’s leading lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) organization – Executive Director Courtney Reyes condemned the actions in a statement:
“Iowa law states that Transgender Iowans have the right to access restrooms that match their gender identity. For these troopers to violate these children’s rights is unconscionable. To double down and eject them from the Capitol for asserting their rights under the law is unimaginable. We call on the Iowa State Patrol to issue an apology to these students and commit to training to better inform them of the protections afforded to LGBTQ Iowans so that this never happens again.
To the youth whose rights were violated today — we see you and we will not stop fighting for you to exist in spaces as your authentic self.”
Until you have a sex change use the restroom intended for you by your sex organ. You literally are what you were born, wether it be man or woman. Dress as you want, identify what/as you want. But use the restroom what sex organ your were born with. You put all people at risk including yourselves for predators to take easier advantage to victimize.
I agree. This has gone too far. Keep the men out of the ladies room. Ladies, on the other hand, come on in the men’s room, the best of us are fine with it.
I have known 2 transgender people and both have laughed and admitted they over dress or over makeup for shock factor to draw attention to their kind. Only then to complain about the attention they are getting. Not all are like this I believe, but it is that way of thinking of some transgender that brings negativity on movement forward. One even in the store loudly says… what are starting at… no one around him was staring or paying attention to him. After that yes they looked, as he proceeded to talk loud/yell that he has rights just as anyone and carried on about 15 min to a few people who didn’t care he was transgender. ??? Why for the attention. Also he has said “ don’t mind using the men’s bathroom, have my whole life, I just like to see the shock on women’s face when I use the woman’s bathroom just because I can. It’s those transgender that bring negativity to the cause.
If you have a penis , you’re a boy.
If you have a vigina, you’re a girl.
You want to act or dress the opposite gender, go right a head. Live your life that way. But until you have the operation to change your sex… you are still what you were born. Have some respect for others also. Penis= men’s room. Vigina = woman’s room. When you gave your sex change operation is when you should be allowed in that restroom. There are pedofiles out there using this as an excuse to violate children and rapists also. So I feel the LGBT should also take this into consideration to help protect innocent children or victims. Live, dress, act what ever gender you want, but use the bathroom of the sex organ you have. Compromise to keep sexual predators away and victims safe. Everybody should be working and compromising to keep everyone safe from predators. I would feel awful my demanding to use the opposite bathroom opened up the opportunity for predators easier access to victims.
State trooper said they were doing sexual activity things in those toilets…..they need to go back in the closet. There gross.
No he didnt say that. Said they could be doing that. Hes an idiot so are you.
When you turn 18 and have your operation and are on medication then you can use whatever restroom you want. It could be worse. We old timers had to swim naked in gym class in 7th and 8th grade. Like the Eagles say get over it.
Science don’t mean much at iowa non-safe schrewl
These sick and confused people. Repent for your sins and God will make all paths straight.
Have you even been on a forest trail? The most natural trails you can walk? Those aren’t straight at all.
Using whatever bathroom you want to use makes as much sense to me as I should be able to be a starter on any sports team just because I want to.
I want to be the backup quarterback for Kansas city.
I would like to see you try. Here is some practice for you. Pick up a cantaloupe. Go over to Nips gym. Find the biggest guys there and tell them you want to play keep away with them, call them some names, dare them to tackle you. See how that goes.
What about the rights of the non perverts who wanted to use the restroom of their own sex without some twinkie getting their kicks watching a normal person going to the bathroom? Don’t normal people have any rights anymore?
That is one of the most ignorant statements I have ever read.
We are supposed to forgive your ignorance? If one of the Trans(f to m) walks into a men’s restroom a sees a swing dick, by law, the man could possibly be charged with a sex crime.
Then you have the m to f that say they are, just to look at little girls. Now prove it, the pedo gets away with it(it does work both ways).
So, I still stick with, use the bathroom of your genetic gender. I could care less if you wear makeup or a dress. Don’t try grabbing my dick or ass and we’re cool.
Almost as ignorant as the first guys comment
really, like anybody would want to grab him….
It’s not ignorant. I would not want someone with a penis watching me pee or be in the same bathroom as me. Why??? Not because of a transgender person but because of the fear a predator could/and have posed as a transgender and victimized people.
WOW, trust me, with thoughts & concerns like that, you are definitely not a normal person. I agree, you are just ignorant.
I also vote this person most ignorant.
All these so called lgbtq whatever kids want is their 15 minutes of fame and get some free attention. PS. I liked the “pit bull thinks he’s a kitten” post. lol
I can see how you might think this way but you could not be further from the truth. I used to have the same thoughts until I actual met & interacted with these teens and others like them. If they truly did not feel different then their biological makeup they would not want the attention they get. Unfortunately the majority of people, like yourself, give them nothing but negative attention up to and including being bullied & discriminated agents. I do not know anyone that would want to bring that type of attention onto themselves on purpose if they did not feel different about themselves.
Attention is NOT what they want, acceptance is the only thing they desire.
then why do they dress to draw attention?
Why do straight teens dress to draw attention?
To get attention
As one of the students that were there, our civil rights were broken and everyone that is saying this is fine and that we should just use the restrooms that we were born as doesn’t understand how uncomfortable that can be for transgender kids. We had permission from both Iowa Safe Schools and the Capital that it was ok to use the bathroom transgender kids identified as. One other student that I meet was transgender decided to use the bathroom he was born as and was wearing a little bit of makeup and was told to wash it off. This isn’t something you can make a comparison to a dog wanting to be a cat. There is only one non gender bathroom that was open to the public on the third floor in one of the furthest back corners you could get and only one of those stalls was accessible to the public because the other one you needed to be someone that worked there. This article doesn’t even let you know that many kids were crying and one even had a very bad panic attack. When this happened we were one the stairs and they just collapsed crying and having troubles breathing. The state troopers surrounded the kid telling others, that were trying to help and knew how to help, to leave and one state trooper was even nudging the kid with his foot to move off the stairs. We weren’t doing anything wrong considering we had permission from Iowa Safe Schools and the Capital that we could use the restrooms transgender students identified as. Some kids were even shoved to move even when they were already moving. This was complete and utterly inappropriate and for people to say that this is ok are disgusting and do not understand how traumatizing this can be for some people. They say they were trying to protect young girls from getting assaulted and I understand that but I know for a fact that the kids in question always made sure they were the only people in the bathroom before using it, there were never any adults in the restrooms at anytime that these kids were using the bathroom.
Ok so now I’m having a panic attack and trouble breathing because of all this drama. I think I might fall down too. Can you please tell me who I can sure over all of this?
Unfortunate incident obviously and un excepted behavior. But there was a transgender bathroom available and should have been used. That’s the purpose of a transgender bathroom is to keep all people safe and comfortable. I would not want a person with a penis using the same bathroom as me. NOT because of the transgender people BUT because predators are using this opportunity to victimize people. Instead of demanding ALL rights, maybe the LGBT could talk and come up with a compromise on the use of public bathrooms? Like a compromise that if a transgender bathroom available they will use it, if not transgenders agree to use the bathroom of the sex organ they were born with. Most men women bathrooms have stalls to use for privacy. With that it helps eliminate the predators Easy access to victimize. Once operation is completed use your chosen bathroom. If transgender I would feel bad with my demand of using the opposite bathroom put children or anyone in danger of a predator I would feel bad and honestly wouldn’t be able to live with myself if someone was victimized by a predator. Just a thought for transgenders to take into consideration to help the cause to stop predators.
So you’re saying we cant even trust our senators and representatives and that they could be child predators. What I was saying was that there was only one bathroom in the whole building that was gender neutral and I was on the 3rd floor in a very hard to get to part of that floor. I apologize if I came of as rude but they did say that they would respect our Civil Rights but not for this, that means they knew what they were doing and they knew we had permission and the right to us the restroom that we identified as.
The future is the gay life out in the open. Androgynous people in jumpsuits all looking alike. Drones twisted in the head over their sexuality. Much like a cult.
In this life you live with what you are dealt during birth. A male will remain a male and a female will remain a female. That is the way god intended it no matter what the liberals say.
Makes sense.
If God intended it that way, then why did he create people who don’t feel comfortable in the gender they were born? Why did he create people who are disabled? Or mentally challenged? Or anything? God created us and hoped that we could overcome our fears to accept all people. Apparently that is too much for some people.
Very well said & I couldn’t agree with you more.
Kind of like not in my backyard
God didn’t create these people, the devil did!
No, God did. The Devil, however, is directing your hatred toward them.
Where in my comment did I say anything about, HATE!!!!!
Sadly, you politically correct snowflakes jump at the chance to incorporate hate into your daily lives.
Sad.y, you politically insensitive assholes, make the most noise and embarrass the real Americans.
Yes god made all people. Men, women, mentally challenged and yes disabled. All Gods people were made that way. Mentally challenged didn’t ask to be that way nor did the disabled. They live with the way they were born, just like a man and women should live the way they were born. A mentally challenged person probably feels uncomfortable with themselves as do disabled people they can not undo the way they were born. Same for man and woman. The argument of being uncomfortable with how you were born is/should be irrelevant. Maybe being mentally challenged/ill is the reason you are uncomfortable with your sex. Maybe explore that avenue also.
Well, my Pit bull feels like he is a small kitten, does that mean that the pit bull ban in my city doesn’t matter?
NO, it’s still a ban, his genetics didn’t change. He is still a pit bull.
These so called students (indoctrinates) just flunked science. Iowa fake school is making life harder for these perverted mentally ill students.